2011-12-31

wow, 2011 is nearly finished, the last day is running by. i will close this year with a curios boot combo from the great and a bit crazy MARK McNAIRY i never saw before: a SADDLE CHUKKA BOOT. i am not really a chukka fan, but i call a classic VIBERG CHUKKA my own and that's enough. it is the same with BUCKs. you can find a classic brogue from McNAIRY in my cupboard and that's all. but this crazy combo McNAIRY did with UK's x SANDERS & SANDERS offered by great UNION shop in los angeles is really a must-have. UNION says: “.. honestly speaking, this was another style that Mark had already made up. Don't fix what ain't broke. Camel suede chukka boot with a brown leather saddle. Beautiful.” yep, awesome! check their site, they have other never seen before amazing McNAIRY styles. pics | UNION

hm, how should i feel about this? the photos look very nice. if the summer collection really will be what the old school shot campaign suggests? i dont know. but the pics with actor & musician MICHAEL PITT are really well done. pics | David Sims

2011-12-29

here you can see my knife collection, small but fine, and the main thing is: practicable! from left to right (pic above): an OTTER MERCATOR knife called “KATZE”, engl. cat, beside the one with the anchor is another OTTER knife – a classic pocketknife, an OTTER iconic! both knives are about 20 €. best stuff made in germany for best price. the one in the middle is a classic BUCK KNIFE called “RANGER 112“ made in the usa – another iconic piece. the small one beside is german knife from famous HERBERTZ called the “EINHANDMESSER” (one hand knife) with a belt clip. this one was a present from OLLI “THE BARBER”. the knife on the left is my only high-tech piece. it's from BUCK KNIVES and really lightweight; a sort of tactical knife. especially the OTTER and the HERBERTZ knives i carry with me everyday. bad pics | LTG

scottish NIGEL CABOURN and new york based ENGINEERED GARMENTS are my absolute favorite labels. via OEN i found some pics of the upcoming summer collection. i hope KLAUS from volls.de will do another great order because especially the outdoor inspired pieces i like very much. and there are some colorful blazers, classic jackets, “polkadot” and plaid pieces, floral patterns, looking lightweight and beautiful – awesome! for a lot of more shots check out www.engineeredgarments.com . there you'll find the complete lookbook. have fun! pics | Engineered Garments.com

2011-12-27

damn, what's that? these shoes only could be found on a japanese website. there are other great SHOE REPAIR artisans called SILVER-SILVER. at this place i found these really crazy patterned RED WING moc shape of the iconic 875. made from a mix of differnet style colors. the leathers seem to be original RED WING ones. it looks really eye catching. but the idea is not new. YUKETEN did some shoes last summer called “mismatch”. i had a pair but i didn't like them really. after wearing 3 times i sold them ... pics | CREA, japan

2011-12-26

this one in classic red was my first RED WING SHOE in 1988. it's style number is 8804. the black one is sold at manufactum.de. they speak about the ”FRANKFURTER” and its style number is 8133. beside manufactum, they are available at RIDERS ROOM and i think at the RED WING STORE FRANKFURT or B74. ask KAMI for this rare boot. i love it, the pureness and simplicity – awesome. pics | manufactum

2011-12-23

this is another very easy to practise type of lacing inspite it looks a bit complicated on the boot. it is a sort of STRAIGHT BAR LACING which distributes pressure evenly plus keeps the knots & ends to the side, away from snagging undergrowth. for bikers you must lace your boots the way that the knots will be outside away from chain and cranks. HIKING LACING looks really interesting and technic on your boots. here practised on my beloved classic icon RED WING SHOES 877. pics | LTG _ graphic | IAN FIEGGEN

2011-12-21

a good boot needs a perfect lacing. some posts next time will show you other types of boot lacing. i try to check them out and tell you if these are difficult to lace and if they are practical. today i laced up my vintage RED WING IRISH SETTER 877 with a type of ARMY LACING.

at first: ARMY LACING is very easy to practise and it allows more flex.
it is told that “Combat boots are notorious for being made of thick, sturdy leather that does not flex very easily, making them firm and uncomfortable for any manoeuvering.This lacing eliminates any crossovers that would hold down the sides of the boot, allowing the leather to crease more freely, particularly near the ankle area. ... this lacing is used by the British, Dutch, French and Brazilian armies.” by IAN FIGGEN